Masking Memories
by T3hWh1t3P4nth3r
Summary: After the war, Neville plucks up the courage to ask Draco to be with him. He tries to help Draco get over the painful memories of his past. Lemon is IMPLIED but I don't actually go into detail. There is also a bit of humor at the end of the story, there just wasn't enough room for it in the genre buttons. Draco/Neville. Rated for implications.


Authors note: I'm sorry, but this is probably rough. It's a Deville, meaning it's Draco and Neville. Please review and tell me what you think.

Neville stood by an elm tree, looking out across the lake. It was one of his favorite spots, because it was the exact place where he asked the one that he loved to be with him. He smiled, remembering how surprised the blonde had been at first. He was afraid that he was going to get rejected, but then he had received the most beautiful, if not somewhat mischievous, smile he had ever seen, followed excitedly by a 'yes' and a peck on the lips.

He was pulled from his thoughts as two arms snaked around his waist. He smiled when a pair of lips caressed his neck. "Hey, Draco…" he said, turning to look at his boyfriend. They shared a brief, tender kiss.

"Hello, love," Draco purred, wrapping his slender arms around Neville's neck, nuzzling up against him. Neville put his arms around the blonde's thin, muscular waist, pulling him closer into the embrace with a sad sigh. He could tell that it still bothered the blonde, but that he was trying to mask the fear and pain that continuously haunted him. "Draco?" he said after a moment of contented silence.

"Hmm?" Draco lifted his head from Neville's shoulder to look him in the eye.

"The war is over, love," he stated calmly.

Draco nodded. "I know that…"

"Then why do you still let it get to you?" the Gryffindor asked, looking down at the black long sleeved shirt that Draco was wearing, despite the fact that it was the warmest day they had all spring. The Slytherin instinctively reached for his left forearm, covering it with his right hand.

He lowered his silver gaze to it, his grip tightening slightly. "Because it reminds me of everything that I did wrong…"

Neville tilted Draco's chin to look at him, caressing his cheek gently. "You didn't do anything wrong, Draco. You weren't given any choice in the matter." Dark storm clouds started rolling in, blocking the sun and chilling the air.

"I shouldn't have gone back…" He shook his head. "I should have just stayed where I was, not have obeyed like some trained dog."Draco's tone was angry but his eyes betrayed him, glistening with repressed tears that threatened to burst forth.

"Hey…" Neville soothed, taking Draco's chin in his hands, looking him in the eye.

"You're not a dog, Draco." As he spoke, the rain began to fall, landing gently upon the two boys. Neville leaned in, taking Draco's lips into a kiss. His heart broke for what seemed like the hundredth time as he felt a warm tear slide down the blonde's cheek.

They pulled apart, startled by an enormous crack of thunder. Suddenly the light drizzle whirled into a torrent of wind and rain. They ran back up to the castle, standing in the entrance thoroughly drenched. Neville chuckled in disbelief as he shook the water from his hair.

Draco had remained in the doorway, gazing out at the wicked storm. "That just came out of nowhere, didn't it?" Neville said, wringing out his shirt. When Draco didn't respond, he strode over to him. "What are you thinking?"

Draco's grey eyes had hardened, scanning the grounds and the skies, as if expecting to see some threat approaching. His eyes would dart to the slightest shadow or sound, alert, though slightly clouded by an underlying fear that he attempted to conceal. "It always stormed like this," he said quietly, "when He was on his way to the Manor or in a foul mood." His hand glided once more to his left arm. "I can't help but think…" His grip tightened and he looked away quickly, biting his lower lip, his eyes clenched shut as the memories came cascading back. His fist clenched and, though he tried to fight it, he could feel himself trembling.

Neville wrapped the blonde in a warm embrace from behind. "It's over… They can't hurt you anymore." Draco nodded, but didn't seem truly convinced. "Does it still burn?" Neville asked, kissing the Slytherin on the cheek.

Draco shook his head. "No, it hasn't burned since the Final Battle." Neville simply nodded his head. Draco had told him about the intense pain that had coursed through his veins as the Dark Lord perished, but he could not truly understand how it felt.

"You're soaked," he said, trying to change the subject. Draco raised an eyebrow at him accusingly. "Alright… So, I am too…"

The Slytherin cracked his signature smirk. "My room is closest," he said, grabbing Neville's hand, leading him down the corridors to the dungeons. It had gotten darker as the storm had progressed, leaving the halls nearly black, aside from the light cast by the torches. As they went deeper, Draco withdrew his wand, illuminating the tip.

They reached the portrait of a woman clad in a black silk gown. "Password?" she said in a rich, noble voice.

"Free" Draco said. She nodded her head of bright golden hair and the portrait swung open, revealing the entrance to Draco's room. He had been made a prefect again this year, which he was very grateful for as it spared him from the ridicule and detestation of his fellow Slytherins. He still had to deal with it during classes and at meals, but at least he could escape them during his leisure time and in the evenings.

The portrait shut as Draco waved his hand over 8 candles, igniting them with wandless magic. With another gesture, they scattered around the room, casting out majority of the darkness that had previously engulfed them.

He strode into the bathroom, tossing Neville a towel. Somehow, Neville had managed to dry quicker than Draco had. Neville's clothes were still damp, of course, but Draco currently looked as though he had decided to jump into the lake.

Neville could hear the wet clothing being thrown to the ground and felt himself blush at the images that fluttered into his mind. He threw the towel over his head to dry his hair. When he moved it and could see again, he had to try desperately to hold back a squeak: Draco had come back out, wearing nothing but a green towel wrapped around his waist, tousling his hair in an attempt to dry it. A few strands fell in front of his eyes, making him look like quite the little vixen.

A smirk crept onto his lips as he strode over to Neville, the remaining water on his skin glistening in the light of the flames. He wrapped his lips around the Gryffindor's, the kiss more passionate than usual. Though the kiss was heated, Draco did not try to get Neville to open his mouth: the Gryffindor was new to this and he didn't want to rush Neville into it.

A faint whimper escaped the brunette's lips when Draco pulled away, looking at him. It took him a moment to remember how to breathe. He had never seen Draco's cold grey eyes light up or shine like that before. His eyes conveyed his thoughts, his emotions: Desire, nervousness, love. He wanted this, but only if Neville wanted it too.

Despite the anxiety that he felt, a flash of that same desire darted across Neville's own eyes. It did not go unnoticed by the blonde, who was quick to remove the space between the two of them.

He was surprised by how Neville responded: tempting Draco's tongue to explore. The blonde eagerly accepted the invitation, the kiss growing faster and deeper. He backed the Gryffindor towards the bed, removing his belt gracefully. He lowered him onto the bed, positioning himself between Neville's legs, skillfully maintaining the kiss the entire time. Nervously, Neville slid his hands down Draco's exposed torso, landing on the top of the towel…

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Dinner had nearly ended by the time Draco and Neville finally showed up. The main course was long past and everyone was enjoying dessert. "Draco," Neville said, grabbing the blonde's shoulder as he turned to go to the Slytherin table. "Why don't you come and sit with us?" Draco looked over at the Gryffindor table, spotting Harry, Ron and Hermione. "They already know…" Neville said quietly. "Hermione figured it out… That and Harry's got that map… They're okay with it, Harry and Hermione. Ron is a bit of a different story though… but I think he's getting over it."

Draco nodded his agreement and they started to walk over. After about five steps, Draco stopped and looked at Neville. His eyes gleamed with an uncharacteristic determination. "You trust me, right?"

Neville was slightly taken by surprise. "Yeah, I completely trust you."

"And you love me, right?" Vulnerability flashed in his silver eyes for a fleeting second.

Neville put his hands on Draco's shoulders. "Of course I do."

A look of relief washed over the blonde as he nodded, the determination quickly returning to his features. "Then I see no point in hiding it anymore." Neville was surprised by Draco's sudden boldness. He simply nodded and they continued to the table.

Ron glanced at Draco with great dislike as the couple sat down. Hermione and Harry exchanged a glance for a brief moment, both wondering the same thing: what do we do? Harry spoke first. "Good to have you with us, Draco." He extended his hand out to is enemy of 7 years. Draco was stunned but, naturally, refused to let it show.

He took Harry's hand in his own. "Is it really this simple?" he asked with a good natured smirk. "Enemies one minute, then on peaceful terms the next? All the bad blood between us completely dismissed and forgotten?"

Harry shrugged. "Well, personally, I think that sounds pretty good."

The blonde's smirk turned into a small, but genuine, smile as he nodded lightly. "Works for me."

Hermione extended her hand as well. "Does it apply to me as well?"

"Only if you want it to." He grabbed her hand, kissing the top of it like a true gentleman. They shared a brief smile as well. Neville was positively beaming. Draco turned his attention to Ron, extending his hand. "What do you say? Can we let the past die?"

Ron glared at the pale hand before looking into the blonde's steely eyes. His own expression softened when he detected no malice in the Slytherin's gaze. Tentatively, he shook Draco's hand. "Alright… We'll bury the past then…"

From that moment, the conversation flowed rather smoothly and easily. They told some stories, cracked a few jokes and Draco had shared majority of his experiences from the war at Hermione's request.

"That's awful!" she said, glaring down at the table. Ron was speechless.

Harry just shook his head. "I don't know how you managed to move on after all that…"

"I almost didn't," Draco confessed. "I had contemplated suicide on more than one occasion. I felt like I was completely alone in the world: I no longer had much of a family to speak of, all my 'friends' deserted me for being a traitor and I lost my favorite professor and godfather. Not to mention, I was completely ashamed of my actions… I still am for that matter… I figured it would be the best thing that I could do." He shrugged. "After, what would be the point in living when there wasn't a single person that wanted you to?" He glanced at Neville, linking their fingers together. Hermione was crying, while Harry and Ron both looked shocked. "But then one day, while I was making plans for it, Neville came along… I still think about doing it every now and then. You know, when things just get really bad. Honestly, I wouldn't be here without him. He was the best thing that could have ever come my way." Neville leaned in and kissed Draco's forehead, giving his hand a supportive squeeze.

Ron left to go talk to Seamus and Dean about quidditch, leaving the four to their idle chatter. They changed to lighter subjects, picking at the sweets in front of them. Draco could feel majority of the eyes in the Great Hall looking at them._ 'Might as well giving them something to look at…'_ he thought. He grabbed a chocolate square and leaned towards Neville. "Do you trust me?" Neville nodded and opened his mouth, taking the morsel between his teeth. Draco leaned forward, taking the other half into his own mouth, their lips colliding. When they pulled apart they could hear various giggles and people murmuring around the room, but they couldn't have cared less. Draco, suddenly feeling weary, laid his head on Neville's shoulder.

Hermione smiled knowingly. "You two should probably get to bed. You've had a pretty busy day filled with some exhausting activities…" Draco smirked at her, not at all surprised that she knew what they had done and what they planned to do. They nodded and stood, hand in hand.

"Use a condom…" Harry muttered into his pumpkin juice. Hermione and Neville both flushed a slight shade of pink while Harry and Draco just chuckled. Smiling, the four bid each other good night before the couple strode from the hall.

Note: Like I said, it's a little rough. But please review and let me know if I should try another Deville in the future. If so, let me know if there is a specific plot that you would like to see.


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